Luke Martinez has first hearing in Laramie

Senior point guard Luke Martinez was arrested Sunday for his connection with a fight downtown Laramie that led to one man having his jaw wired shut and Martinez finishing the night with a broken hand in an incident that happened outside the Buckhorn Bar back in December. A December 30 incident led to a UW press release saying that Martinez would be out with a broken bone in his hand for an undetermined amount of time. That later turned into assault and battery charges against Martinez, who was arrested Sunday and interviewed shortly after.

Also involved in the incident were Cowboy basketball players Derek Cooke and Josh Sobey. Cooke is believed to be involved in the incident when he knocked the victim out unconscious with a punch to the head. Following that is what has landed Martinez in trouble. The 2nd leading scorer for the Cowboys allegedly took a running head start at the victim, who was laying unconscious on the ground, and soccer style kicked him in the head, breaking his lower mandible and as a result, having his jaw wired shut. Several witnesses, including Buckhorn Bar employees were able to positively identify Martinez in the fight.

Martinez stuck around the Buckhorn after the incident and talked to Laramie Police about the incident. At first Larry Shyatt had no comment on the incident and related Martinez’s injury to that of a boxer’s injury. After the news of the incident came out yesterday Shyatt suspended Martinez from the team indefinitely. Assistant coach Scott Duncan was present for the 20 minute hearing today in which Martinez appeared in jail clothing. He was released on a $25,000 signature bond and is required to check in with the UW athletic department three times a week.

Players had commented that Martinez was a great guy, however, he drew the ire of one former Poke Brandon Ewing who tweeted “Wow, Martinez and Cooke was NOT thinking… Yea, I said it!! Think about the TEAM first young fellas!! .. Smh” and later tweeted “Fighting at the bar and getting suspended don’t make you COOL… People laughing AT you not WITH you!!! #GoWyo!!” Ewing was in Laramie for the last Pokes home game, a loss to Boise State and still keeps tabs on his alma mater closely.

The timing couldn’t be worse for the 14-1 Cowboys who are headed into Mountain West Conference play, including a January 16 game on the road at Fresno State. With Martinez being indefinitely suspended from the basketball team freshman Riley Grabau will be heavily counted on to fill the shoes of Martinez and his 3 point shooting efforts. This incident will likely end the basketball career of Martinez at UW. Martinez had been present on the UW sidelines following the incident. UW will not comment any further on the incident, and will not comment on the involvement of Cooke and Sobey who made the plane ride to Fresno today and will be suited up against the Bulldogs Wednesday night.